Upward Notes

What happens during an Upward Notes gathering?

We brought the instruments. The students brought their energy.

For an hour, everyone shares the same space. There's room for quiet listening, questions, movement, curiosity, and participation. No one is expected to experience the music in the same way.

At Southside, the hour seemed to disappear.

That's an important part of a gathering.

The goal isn't simply to perform for an audience. It's to create an experience where everyone in the room can participate in their own way. Sometimes that means listening quietly. Sometimes it means asking questions. Sometimes it means singing at the top of your lungs or trying an instrument for the very first time.

🥰🥸😎🤓😬🤪

Ms. Odessa has never attended a board meeting, planned a gathering, or played a note of music.

But she does remind us of something important.

The simple act of slowing down. Of finding a patch of sunlight. Of being fully present in a moment.

At Upward Notes, we believe well-being is built through moments both large and small—through music, through community, and sometimes through the quiet wisdom of a calico cat named Odessa.

Today, we're grateful for a little reminder to pause. 🧡🐾

"Where do you find all these events???!!" 🌼🎶💨

The best way to keep up with what Upward Notes is up to is to follow us on IG & FB, and visit our website to learn how to get involved! 🙏

Upward Notes is a community-based initiative that brings the healing power of music into everyday spaces—beyond the concert hall and into the heart of our communities. Currently based in Sarasota, Florida, Upward Notes creates shared musical experiences. Our performances support both audience and artist mental health, grounded in empathy, connection, and presence. We’re a volunteer-powered, nonprofit organization committed to using music as a tool for transformation, well-being, and joy.

With All Star Children's Foundation – We just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers 🎉

Upward Notes is represented by a flower. The flower in our logo is a dandelion, its seeds soaring upward, transforming into musical notes, and spreading everywhere.

Slides 2 - 5:
Sarasota Downtown Farmers Market
Sunflower shopping
Worden Farm
April, 2024

Upward Notes brings classical music out of the concert hall and into the community while teaching and encouraging well-being for the audience and performer.

The PERMA model, developed by Martin Seligman, is a framework for well-being and happiness consisting of five core elements: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. It aims to foster flourishing by cultivating joy, "flow" in activities, strong connections, purpose, and goal achievement

P - Positive Emotion: Feeling good, experiencing joy, gratitude, and hope.
E - Engagement: Being fully absorbed in tasks ("flow").
R - Relationships: Having supportive, loving connections with others.
M - Meaning: Serving a purpose greater than oneself.
A - Accomplishment/Achievement: Pursuing goals and experiencing a sense of mastery.

Another of our many Holiday concerts this season! 🎄